Sakuraraku looked at the Fox Mask in front of her.
The masked girl no longer seemed to have her usual elegant ease.
The pure white shiromuku had gone gray with dust from the impact just now, and a large hole had torn open at the waist, baring pale skin and a glaring red mark across it.
She was sticky all over.
It had to be saliva the shark had left, dripping down her small body onto the ground.
Just now, even her companion had abandoned her, leaving her alone to face a monster out of control and a ring of magical girls.
Fox Mask was a magical girl, the same as they were.
Beneath the mask, the face might be even younger than theirs.
Sakuraraku’s heart began to ache, faintly.
“Abandoned by her companion because she stopped a monster that lost control…?”
Seika spoke, weighing the words.
Toward Fox Mask, she had always felt a debt she could not quite name.
She looked down at the swimming shark monster, and a shadow fell over her golden eyes.
“Miss Fox Mask…!”
Mawata summoned her courage and took out the mask Nadeshiko had given her.
She had carried it at her side the whole time, like a protective charm.
“It’s not too late to turn back! You… haven’t really hurt anyone! We… we’ll protect you from Night Theater’s hands!”
Fox Mask did not answer them.
In truth she had barely heard.
Her attention had stayed on the shark under the ground the whole time.
Now!
Just as she had expected, the shark was behind her, in the blind spot of her vision.
But she had already read its intent to attack.
She dropped her stance low, hand on the hilt.
It was a standard iaido posture.
[ITTŌ-RYŪ: READ — MEETING CUT]
The shark burst out of the air and opened its bloody maw at her.
In that split second, Fox Mask’s figure flickered like a ghost.
A sakura-pink blade-light flashed.
Before anyone could see how she had drawn, several blossoms of blood opened on the shark, and it collapsed to the ground, twitching, strengthless.
Fox Mask flicked the beads of blood from the sword and stood before the three of them again.
That move just now was a secret technique she had not used in a long time.
Its principle was to read the opening an enemy showed when it attacked, arrive first by moving second, and end the enemy in one stroke.
But she had been bitten and smashed through so many floors that the pain warped the motion.
The wound at her right waist tore open, and blood fell drop by drop, terrible to see.
Let me think. What line should I say…?
“Don’t look at me with that pitying gaze. I don’t need sympathy.”
Fox Mask spoke coldly, the blade pointed at the three of them.
So cool, so cool. That was exactly the kind of line a highly popular villain would say!
Immersed in the joy of playing the part, Nadeshiko under the mask was pleased with herself.
“Fox Mask… you’re hurt. Let me bandage it first.”
Sakuraraku took a step forward, meaning to support Fox Mask.
The wound was not large, but it looked deep.
Sakuraraku did not know whether a magical girl could die from losing too much blood, but on instinct she did not want Fox Mask in this much pain.
A blade sang.
A line of blood flashed past, and everyone cried out.
A shallow red mark had appeared on the clean skin of Sakuraraku’s neck.
“Don’t forget. We are enemies.”
The masked girl lowered the sword, casually tore off a corner of her clothes, and stuffed it into the wound, as if she meant to leave.
[Magical Girl Harmed. Villain Points +2]
So cool, so cool, I am really so cool! The wound hurts, but I am so cool! Your wound won’t scar, so don’t worry!
“Then why don’t you just kill me!”
Sakuraraku did not fall back the way Fox Mask had expected.
She grabbed Fox Mask’s wrist outright. It was slimmer than she had imagined.
“If we’re enemies, then kill me!”
Her sakura-colored eyes fixed on Fox Mask, and she said it word by word.
This girl Rakuraku is this fierce?
Under the mask, a line of cold sweat crossed Nadeshiko’s face.
What do I do? I can’t actually kill her.
She had no choice but to reverse the blade and turn, cutting at Sakuraraku with the back of the sword.
If it had been the edge, the force of this stroke could have cut Sakuraraku in half at the waist.
“Nnh!”
Sakuraraku let out a whimper like a small animal.
[Magical Girl Harmed. Villain Points +10]
This month’s Villain Points ought to be settled, Nadeshiko thought.
“You really think I don’t dare?” she said to Sakuraraku, who had dropped to her knees.
Then she raised the sword in her hand high, as if she were about to bring it down on Sakuraraku’s head.
I’m really going to cut… I’m really going to bring it down, so stop me…
A golden shooting star flew in.
Fox Mask turned sideways and caught it backhanded.
Sure enough, it was Seika’s arrow.
“Stop! Don’t do this!”
Seika did not seem quite willing to bet on whether Fox Mask would bring the sword down, and she drew the bow to full again.
[FIRE]!!
Beside them, Mawata crushed a card and chanted a fireball spell.
A scorching wave of heat rushed at her face, and Fox Mask had no choice but to flash back.
“I… won’t let you hurt her.”
Mawata had made up her mind.
Tears swam in those cyan cat eyes.
The two of them rushed forward and helped Sakuraraku up.
The fire pipe sensed the high temperature and began spraying water through the room.
It mixed with the dust-mist around them, and drops fell on everyone.
Sakuraraku saw a tear fall from Fox Mask’s mask.
Beneath the mask, do you cry too?
“Even if I have to break your arms and legs, I will bring you back!”
Sakuraraku roared, condensed two longswords in her hands, and came at Fox Mask.